emlissess's review
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Fairly well-written, but it literally doesn't deliver anything beyond an open-ended idea. The author doesn't deliver what is promised.
lillist's review
4.0
4 stars - What would YOU do?
How would you react if suddenly Earth stopped rotating and a mysterious object showed up in the sky? How would you deal with something that is beyond our capability of understanding?
This well-crafted story follows several individuals as they and the rest of Earth are thrown into such a situation. We have Noel, who is working as a satellite communications officer, her brother Michael, who is a young priest trying to fill the large shoes of his predecessor and Yanez, one of the astronauts on the ISS, who is forced to leave the station rather suddenly. Their subplots intertwine as they all struggle to make sense of what is happening around them while having to deal with the social turmoil and massive natural desasters that follow this event. Just imagine that the part of Earth that is facing Earth is getting hotter and hotter, while the other half is cooling down and all of the water starts moving towards the poles and causes flooding and massive tectonic stress.
The story stays very close to the characters and the events through their eyes, which I thought was well done. People's behaviour felt natural and plausible and I could relate to many of the struggles, doubts and also purely practical issues everyone was experiencing after their world has been turned upside down. Questions of faith are being explored (is it a message from God?), as well as the implications for a society that suddenly loses the ability to communicate around the globe - just imagine a world without GPS and internet. There is also plenty of action to move events forward.
It was a bit of a letdown that we do not find out much about the mysterious object, which was not terribly satisfying. But then again, how do you come up with a good, plausible story for something that so utterly defies everything we know about physics? However, I would very much be interested in a sequel to the story, maybe even with some insights into the nature of the mysterious objects.
If you are happy to live with a mystery unsolved and prefer your sci-fi on the human side, this one's for you - heartily recommended!
I have received a digital review copy via BookSirens and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you!
How would you react if suddenly Earth stopped rotating and a mysterious object showed up in the sky? How would you deal with something that is beyond our capability of understanding?
This well-crafted story follows several individuals as they and the rest of Earth are thrown into such a situation. We have Noel, who is working as a satellite communications officer, her brother Michael, who is a young priest trying to fill the large shoes of his predecessor and Yanez, one of the astronauts on the ISS, who is forced to leave the station rather suddenly. Their subplots intertwine as they all struggle to make sense of what is happening around them while having to deal with the social turmoil and massive natural desasters that follow this event. Just imagine that the part of Earth that is facing Earth is getting hotter and hotter, while the other half is cooling down and all of the water starts moving towards the poles and causes flooding and massive tectonic stress.
The story stays very close to the characters and the events through their eyes, which I thought was well done. People's behaviour felt natural and plausible and I could relate to many of the struggles, doubts and also purely practical issues everyone was experiencing after their world has been turned upside down. Questions of faith are being explored (is it a message from God?), as well as the implications for a society that suddenly loses the ability to communicate around the globe - just imagine a world without GPS and internet. There is also plenty of action to move events forward.
It was a bit of a letdown that we do not find out much about the mysterious object, which was not terribly satisfying. But then again, how do you come up with a good, plausible story for something that so utterly defies everything we know about physics? However, I would very much be interested in a sequel to the story, maybe even with some insights into the nature of the mysterious objects.
If you are happy to live with a mystery unsolved and prefer your sci-fi on the human side, this one's for you - heartily recommended!
I have received a digital review copy via BookSirens and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you!
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